by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 21, 2014 | Pigeons in the News
Many people have heard of Mike Tyson, the fearsome former heavyweight champion– but did as many people know he had a love for pigeons?
The birds, considered a dirty nuisance to most people, were his friends.
Owning 3,000 of the birds, he called pigeon racing his ‘first love’. Much to his wife’s dismay, Tyson can spend hours at the coop, staring at the birds as they flap their wings and hop around.
“The pigeons are man’s first feathered friends, before chickens,” Tyson said. “They were money in ancient times.”
For Mr. Tyson, home was never something to be taken for granted. As a boy growing up in a raucous and dysfunctional apartment in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, he joined some pals in keeping a roof-top suite of pet pigeons. One afternoon, a street tough came along, taunted the future champ, blithely snapped the neck of one of his pigeons and threw the bird back in his face. That was Tyson’s first fight as a result of his love for pigeons.
‘They were my escape,’ he said. ‘I was fat and ugly. Kids teased me all the time. The only joy I had was pigeons.’
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 18, 2014 | Bird Netting
1. Large population of pigeons is a health hazard.
Our huge feral pigeon population is a health hazard and creates many problems in the city. Pigeon droppings dirty public spaces, do costly damage to buildings, and can spread life-threatening diseases, especially to the elderly and immune-deficient. Their nesting materials block drains and harbor parasites like bird mites. Pigeon food makes a mess and attracts rats.
2. Feeding pigeons promotes overbreeding.
Pigeon feeding produces overbreeding. Pigeons normally breed two or three times a year, producing two eggs per brood. Overfed city pigeons can breed up to eight times a year.
Sometimes having a tender heart towards pigeons may have destructive consequences
3. Pigeons are harmed when fed.
When you feed pigeons, you are not doing them a favor. They lose their natural ability to scavenge and survive on their own. Pigeon over population leads to overcrowded, unsanitary conditions and produces sick and injured birds. A smaller flock is healthier and does less damage.
4. It attracts other pests
People who feed pigeons often end up feeding more than they bargained for. If food is too plentiful, pigeons may not always eat everything that is left out for them. The remaining food may attract rats and mice.
Lovely, though pigeons have become an increasing environmental and health concern in recent years
5. It affects other birds
Feeding feral pigeons can deprive other birds of food and might scare them from your garden. Smaller birds such as thrushes and finches are often frightened off when numbers of much larger pigeons arrive. Feral pigeons can also carry viruses that can be spread to other birds causing death.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 18, 2014 | Pigeons in the News
An errant racing pigeon has Renwick orchard owner Bob Crum cursing the day the bird entered his life.
According to Crum the pigeon arrived three weeks ago and had made itself at home, enjoying a regular supply of food from his hen house. However, the pesky bird’s presence has put his hens off laying, and it doesn’t look ready to leave any time soon.
What Crum first thought was a novelty turned into a daily chase to catch the food thief.
He had made noises to scare the pigeon but unperturbed by the riled fruit grower, it just flew off only to return later. The bird has grey and white plumage with an amulet of pink and purple feathers around its neck.
Crum believed the racing pigeon had deviated from its route.
“We thought it was hanging around because it liked us. We discovered it was eating the hens’ food and was putting them off laying. It causes all hell and the chooks don’t like it. They won’t lay in their nests in the hen house,” he said.
It had been eating wheat and seemed happy, Crum said.
“I felt sorry for it at first but we have had enough. It is pretty clever, it is no bird brain.
“It keeps out smarting me. In the hen house it sneaked out every time I tried to catch it. It flies up to the roof and watches what is happening.”
Crum doesn’t believe in killing the bird so lethal force hasn’t yet been considered. “I don’t have it in me to harm it – I wouldn’t want any thing bad to happen to it,” he said.
He had been in touch with a pigeon club to see if any pigeon fanciers were missing a bird but his inquiries had drawn a blank.
“I hope its missing owner comes and gets it quick.”
If you are missing a racing pigeon call Crum on 03 572 8237.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 18, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
Activities including the importing, breeding, trading in and translocation of pigeons are now listed as prohibited activities in terms of the Invasive and Alien Species List as published by the department of water and environmental affairs,” the National Council of SPCAs said in a statement.
The prohibition included “releasing of any specimen of a listed invasive species” which effectively meant that “releasing pigeons to race or as homing pigeons” was illegal.
The NSPCA said the new legislation was published in the Government Gazette on August 1.
Invasive
“Our concerns include the rate of attrition during races. That is, the high number of pigeons who simply do not ever reach their race destination for various reasons including exhaustion, and racing taking place in inclement or extreme weather conditions.”
Relevant industry role players had been informed about the new legislation and the NSPCA was obligated to report any violations to the department, it said.
President of the SA National Pigeon Organisation (Sanpo), Faunty Gillmer said they were seeking a meeting with the environmental affairs minister.
He said the new law, which had been in the pipeline since 2004, would do away with the 100-year-old sport of pigeon racing.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 18, 2014 | Bird Netting, Pigeons in the News
Woody Allen famously dubbed them “rats with wings,” and we all more or less agree: when it comes to pigeons, everyone’s a hater. They’re filthy disease carriers! Parasites of the urban environment! Dumber than chickens!
Not so, says award-winning Toronto-based filmmaker Scott Harper, and he’s setting the record straight in his documentary The Secret Life of Pigeons, airing Thursday November 20 on CBC’s The Nature of Things.
“They can recognize an individual by their face alone,” says Harper, revealing just one of the surprising pigeon truths revealed in his film. The birds are actually highly intelligent, and can differentiate between the nice old lady bringing a bag of corn to share and the mean old witch ready to beat them off with a stick, just by examining their facial features.
Pigeons also have a very long and surprisingly amicable history with humans. Domesticated as far back as ancient Egypt, pigeons have served man as a mode of communication, a tasty snack, a form of entertainment and even as a medium for studying brain chemistry.
Carrier pigeons saved thousands of lives during WWI, and were as close to a walkie talkie as guys like Genghis Khan were going to get.
Pigeon races were once a popular pass time, and though they don’t draw a crowd like they once did, the Queen and Prince Charles continue to keep racing pigeons, and there are still races held as nearby as Bradford, Ontario.
Then there is the world of the pigeon fancier — individuals who breed pigeons for show. Yes, it’s a thing that exists, and we suggest you Google it (to see many photos of grown men — including Mike Tyson — holding their beloved pigeons).
And because pigeons form and then lose memory in a manner remarkably similar to humans, scientists use the birds in Alzheimer’s research and testing.
But perhaps the most surprising fact revealed about these ubiquitous birds is that they continue to exist at all.
“It’s amazing how these birds have survived in a place where they are really not wanted,” says Harper. The story of the urban pigeon actually turns out to be a rather heartbreaking one. Because they are domesticated animals that have found themselves homeless, they don’t feed on anything natural, and so must surviving on little more than refuse and what the odd pigeon lover leaves for them. In fact, says Harper, when someone who regularly feeds the neighbourhood pigeons stop doing so, that whole flock will likely die. “They made feeding pigeons in London’s Trafalgar Square illegal,” says Harper, “and now there are no pigeons in Trafalgar Square.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 10, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
Pigeons are well known for the excessive droppings they cause wherever they go. Watch how famous prankster Remi Gaillard exemplifies this fact.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 10, 2014 | Pigeons in the News
The pigeon is a determined creature. It will stay in an area as long as there is food, despite attempts by humans or other birds to chase it away. The pigeon sighting can encourage you to be stubborn and hang in there, regardless of what challenges are thrown in your path.
The pigeon also has strong connections to house and home. If a pigeon appears to you, take a look at your relationship with your home. What does it represent to you? What would you like it to be for you? If these things don’t match up, you know you have work to do. The pigeon is safest in a flock. Don’t discount the strength and support found in a community. Furthermore, remember the importance of communication within that community; don’t assume people know things just because you do. Make sure everyone is in the loop regarding important information.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 10, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products
Who wants to clean pigeon poop for fun? Certainly no-one in the right mind. However, with those pesty birds ever-breeding and roosting on your roof, there comes a time when it must be done. Here’s how to safely get rid of those pigeon marks.
Materials:
– protective clothing or disposable overalls
– nitrile rubber gloves
– paper face mask
– eye goggles
– 3/4th cup chlorine bleach
– 1 gallon warm water
– 1 tablespoon laundry detergent
– spray bottle or power washer
– sponge or rag
– garbage bag
Ideal pigeon cleaning suit.
Directions:
1. Put on your protective clothing to ensure full coverage.
2. Mix the solutions.
3. Wet the droppings with the solution in a spray bottle or power washer. Make sure you let the solution sit for a few minutes for it to thoroughly disinfect the droppings.
4. Use a sponge or rag if further scrubbing is necessary
5. Push all the removed bird guano into a garbage bag
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 10, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products
Pigeons breed all year round and according to the extent of food available to them. If food is readily available, and assuming that good roosting and breeding opportunities exist, the feral pigeon will breed between 4 and 8 times a year, bringing two young into the world each time. A juvenile pigeon can breed in its first year of life. Simple maths confirms that unless available food is strictly controlled, pigeons will rapidly breed out of control, resulting in overpopulation in areas of human habitation. To add to this, scientific research and research carried out by PiCAS International has proved that when pigeons from a feeding flock are killed as a method of control, flock size will increase by between 12% and 30% within a matter of months, further entrenching the problem.
Pigeon feeding is a people problem which largely encourages pigeon population growth.
So what is the answer? It must therefore be concluded that ‘pigeon problems’ are, in reality, ‘people problems’ and must be dealt with as such.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 7, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
A number of panicked Russians have contacted the authorities to report concerns over the bizarre behaviour of pigeons in Moscow.
Locals have dubbed the birds “zombie pigeons” after a strange change in their behaviour swept the city – leaving the birds extremely lethargic and seemingly fearless.
Speaking to Europe Radio Liberty, a Moscow resident named Umid said: “When I walk to work I usually see pigeons running and jumping around. But recently they haven’t been reacting to anything at all”.
He added: “When a person walks past them, they used to fly away. But now they just sit there in a kind of funk and don’t even pay attention to you. They’re just not normal.”
Umid went on to say: “I’ve seen some pigeons behaving very strangely, turning around in circles”.
Officials have dubbed the birds “the pecking dead”, and say their condition is likely to be a combination of an intestinal infection that has left a large number of pigeons dead over the last few years, and various other parasite-based diseases.
Hundreds of worried Muscovites have already taken to Twitter to share stories about the “zombie pigeons”, branding the epidemic a “bird apocalypse”.
One user reported a pigeon losing its balance and falling through an open window frame, while others described birds resting their beaks on the ground or walking round and round in circles.
Moscow’s deputy Mayor Leonid Pechatnikov moved to allay fears by declaring the pigeons’ odd behaviour harmless, adding that the intestinal disease could not be caught by humans.
This was seemingly contradicted by the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Unit however, who said the birds are likely to be suffering from Newcastle disease – a highly contagious illness that can cause eye infections and flu-like symptoms in people.
Russia’s Vetinary Committee added a third theory, claiming lesions on the dead birds’ livers and intestines seem to indicate salmonella poisoning, which can, of course, also be passed to humans.
For the time being, locals are advised to stay away from any pigeon that is behaving strangely and to call the local authorities if they come across a dead bird.
Russia’s chief health inspector Gennady Onishchenko, who last month banned Ukrainian chocolate as a potential health hazard, said the country has no plans to investigate the reports however.
Mr Onishchenko went on to reveal his somewhat prejudicial views on pigeons, saying: “In the hands of Pablo Picasso a pigeon became and embodiment of peace… but in fact, in a sanitary sense, they are one of the dirtiest stupidest birds there are”.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
Pigeon fanciers in eastern China are caging, cleaning and vaccinating tens of thousands of the birds in an attempt to contain the spread of avian flu as the death toll from the disease continues to mount.
“We’ve been cleaning a lot of cages,” said a man from the Beijing Fengtai District Carrier Pigeon Association who gave his name as Mr Wang. He added that the Beijing government had required the association to cancel upcoming long-distance races and instruct members to keep their birds caged for at least a month.
State media reported four new cases of H7N9 avian influenza on Monday, including one death. Since last month, the virus has infected 24 people and killed seven of them; cases have been reported in Shanghai and throughout three eastern provinces. The World Health Organisation said it had not yet found evidence that the virus could be transmitted from person to person.
In Shanghai, authorities ordered the slaughter of at least 100,000 chickens, ducks and geese after a national laboratory found traces of the virus in two pigeons near one of the city’s live poultry markets.
Now the country’s pigeons have become a focus for concerns over the spread of the disease. The Hangzhou Carrier Pigeon Association said it planned to suspend races and vaccinate up to 90,000 pigeons, according to state media. “Right now, pigeons in [Shanghai’s] squares and public parks have all been caged,” reported the China Sports Daily website.
Pigeon racing is a popular pastime in China dating back to the Ming Dynasty, which ended in 1644. Almost 300,000 people across the country participate in the sport.
According to the news portal Zhejiang Online, a complaints hotline in the metropolis Hangzhou received a flurry of pigeon-related calls on Sunday, when local media reported that samples of pigeon feathers found at a local market had tested positive for the virus.
Chinese researchers have identified the H7N9 virus as a “genetic mix from South Korean migratory birds and ducks from Zhejiang province”, the independent magazine Caixin reported on Tuesday.
Chinese health authorities have not detected any flu-like symptoms in 621 people who have had close contact with infected patients, the director of China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, said Liang Wannian.
The outbreak has had an effect on China’s capital markets: shares of mainland poultry-meat producers have slumped since reports of the disease surfaced last week. Chinese airline and hotel stocks have also taken a hit, suggesting fears that the outbreak could affect the country’s tourism industry.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Physical control
Controlling pigeons permanently is hard because these birds have adapted to stress, and there are many sources of food available in urban areas.
- Never leave food out where pigeons can get it.
- Keep garbage containers closed. Dispose of garbage on a regular basis.
- On flat roofs or ledges, use bristling wires, also known as porcupine wires, or sticky pastes that will discourage pigeons from landing and gathering.
Bird scaring devices
Bird scaring devices can also be bought to frighten birds away from a given area. Loud noises, flashing lights, windmills, and recordings of bird distress calls can be effective ways of controlling pigeons, but may not all be practical in urban settings.
Ultra-sonic bird repellers are mostly used for personal balconies, backyards, or commercial rooftops
Products
Bird spikes, also known as an anti-roosting spike, is an effective device consisting of long, needle-like rods used for bird control. They can be attached to building ledges, street lighting, and commercial signage to prevent wild or feral birds from perching or roosting, in a humane way.
Pigeon Patrol spikes are an effective way to keep the birds away
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
Pigeons of the city are feral bird of an invasive species. The biggest problem are pigeon droppings which are not only unsightly but pose a health hazard to the general public. There are more than 60 transmissible diseases from pigeon to humans.
Some examples include:
Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that may be fatal. It results from a fungus growing in dried bird droppings. Candidiasis is a yeast or fungus infection spread by pigeons. The disease affects the skin, the mouth, the respiratory system, the intestines and the urogenital tract, especially the vagina. It is a growing problem for women, causing itching, pain and discharge. Cryptococcosis is caused by yeast found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and starlings. The illness often begins as a pulmonary disease and may later affect the central nervous system. Since attics, cupolas, ledges, schools, offices, warehouses, mills, barns, park buildings, signs, etc. are typical roosting and nesting sites, the fungus is apt to found in these areas.
St. Louis Encephalitis, an inflammation of the nervous system, usually causes drowsiness, headache and fever. It may even result in paralysis, coma or death. St. Louis encephalitis occurs in all age groups, but is especially fatal to persons over age 60. The disease is spread by mosquitoes which have fed on infected house sparrow, pigeons and house finches carrying the Group B virus responsible for St. Louis encephalitis.
Salmonellosis often occurs as “food poisoning” and can be traced to pigeons, starlings and sparrows. The disease bacteria are found in bird droppings; dust from droppings can be sucked through ventilators and air conditioners, contaminating food and cooking surfaces in restaurants, homes and food processing plants.
E.coli. Cattle carry E. coli 0157:H7. When birds peck on cow manure, the E. coli go right through the birds and the bird droppings can land on or in a food or water supply.
A flock of pigeons
Besides being direct carriers of disease, nuisance birds are frequently associated with over 50 kindsof ectoparasites, which can work their way throughout structures to infest and bite humans. About two-thirds of these pests may be detrimental to the general health and well-being of humans and domestic animals. The rest are considered nuisance or incidental pests. A few examples of ectoparasites include:
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) may consume up to five times their own weight in blood drawn from hosts which include humans and some domestic animals. In any extreme condition, victims may become weak and anemic. Pigeons, starlings and house sparrows are known to carry bed bugs.
Chicken mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) are known carriers of encephalitis and may also cause fowl mite dermatitis and acariasis. While they subsist on blood drawn from a variety of birds, they may also attack humans. They have been found on pigeons, starlings and house sparrows.
Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), perhaps the most common beetle parasites of people in the United States, live in pigeon nests. It is found in grain or grain products, often winding up in breakfast cereals, and may cause intestinal canthariasis and hymenolespiasis.
West Nile Virus while West Nile is technically not transmitted to humans from birds, humans can get infected by the bite of a mosquito who has bitten an infected bird.
Pigeon pox
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 6, 2014 | Pigeons in the News
“Look into the eyes of a chicken [or pigeon] and you will see real stupidity. It is a kind of bottomless stupidity, a fiendish stupidity. They are the most horrifying, cannibalistic and nightmarish creatures in the world.”
- Werner Herzog
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 6, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
PROBLEMATIC pigeons will no longer be able to nest under the railway bridge on Chepstow Road.
Network Rail put up the nets after councillors raised concerns about safety, adding the birds were so foul they made worshippers reluctant to go to a nearby mosque.
Maindee residents had hoped for a solution for years and say they are delighted action has finally been taken.
Worshippers at the Shahporan Bangladeshi Jam’e Mosque had to walk underneath the bridge to get to prayers, but many felt the pigeon mess made it difficult to be clean before entering the mosque, a requirement in Islam.
Others said the pigeon prevalence was dangerous as people had slipped over on the droppings.
Councillor Christine Jenkins said her husband noticed workmen installing the netting last week. “I want to say ‘Thank you’ to Network Rail”, she said. “It has been installed since we put it in the paper and it’s a good result. We have waited a long time to have netting put under the bridge. It’s nice to know Network Rail is listening to the public. It’s going to have a good effect on the community – they have been fighting for years for it.”
One worshipper, Abbas Meah, 75, who has lived in Maindee since 1962, said the pigeons had been a serious problem. “People must walk through pigeon mess on both sides of the bridge,” he said prior to the nets being installed. “People can’t pray like this.”
Majid Rahman, councillor for Victoria ward, said the walls had been “grubby with pigeon mess. It’s a health and safety issue. Someone badly hurt their hand as a result of droppings on a metal grate.”
Cllrs Rahman and Jenkins delivered a leaflet to Maindee residents last week saying the nets had been installed “to protect you from pigeon droppings” after talks with the council’s street scene department, Network Rail and Maindee Action Group.
A Network Rail spokesman said previously: “Network Rail has a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that it spends its limited public funds wisely.
“When looking at the problem and nuisance we know pigeons cause, we look at the scale of the problem and undertake a risk assessment to make an informed judgement.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Firefighters were called to rescue two pigeons who got trapped in netting.
After a call from the RSPCA a fire crew from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene at the Goldsmith Leisure Centre in Crowborough earlier this afternoon.
They arrived just after 2pm and, using a ladder, they managed to release the two pigeons.
The crew left the scene just before 3pm and the birds were left in the care of the RSPCA.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 5, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
In the span of a few weeks, Erica Richards has been transformed from a vibrant 23-year-old woman who loved nature to a person battling for her life.
The Fredericton woman contracted a potentially fatal condition called cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal disease carried in the feces of pigeons.
The debilitating illness attacks the spine and brain, causing severe swelling. It left her confined to a hospital bed in a state of delirium for weeks.
But the most devastating side effect is that Ms. Richards is now blind.
“Be aware of this disease. It could kill a child in a heartbeat,” Ms. Richards said in an interview from her hospital bed.
“It could kill a senior in a heartbeat without you even having to worry about the symptoms. It comes on that fast. If you don’t realize the symptoms, it could kill you, too.”
Her emotional warning comes on the heels of city council’s approval earlier this month of a recommendation that it toughen its animal control bylaw to allow for fines for feeding pigeons. Once the amendment is drafted and declared law, it will give the city’s bylaw enforcement officers the power to ticket and fine offenders.
Ms. Richards said she decided to go public about her illness after learning about a recent newspaper story about a problem with pigeon poop in the city.
“Please don’t feed the pigeons,” she said. “Try to shoo them away if you see them. … It (the disease) is horrible. The pain that you get from this disease is crippling.
“The after-effects are with you for life and you just can’t stop thinking about it. I just want other people to know and try to stay away from pigeons.”
Oddly enough, Ms. Richards said she has no recollection of ever being anywhere near pigeons.
“I am still wondering to this day where I got it,” she said. “I could have stepped in it and brought it into the home. I just don’t know.”
Ms. Richards said the symptoms started with a migraine headache that wouldn’t go away. She was admitted to hospital on Feb. 10 after many days of intense head pain. Shortly after, she went into a coma-like state.
“When I woke up I thought I had a mask over my eyes, but I was wrong. I was blind. I was recently told that I will be blind for the rest of my life. This is a tough thing for a 23-year-old to go through. … My world crumbled around me.”
Ms. Richards said the odds of surviving the disease are 50-50.
“However, I managed to make it through,” she said, battling tears. “I don’t know how but I am still here, and I am glad because I get to warn everyone else of this.”
Cristin Muecke, the Health Department’s regional medical officer, confirmed the disease is often associated with pigeon droppings. She said the illness can’t be spread person to person and is more common with someone who has immune problems.
Ms. Richards, however, said she has never had a problem with her immune system and that’s what’s so puzzling about contracting the affliction.
“I do not want anyone else to suffer this agonizing disease and I ask anyone who is feeding pigeons to stop,” she said. “It’s not just a matter of keeping your neighbourhood clean … it’s a matter of keeping people healthy.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 4, 2014 | Pigeons in the News
Ten thousand pigeons, which were being dramatically released as part of a public holiday celebration in China, were given anal examinations following concerns from Chinese security officials that the birds could be used as part of a terrorist attack.
The authorities also checked the feathers and legs of the birds, before they were used in today’s National Day event in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
It annually marks the 1949 founding of the People’s Republic China and this year celebrated the nation’s 65th anniversary. It is held each year on 1 October.
China’s state-run newspaper, People’s Daily, yesterday posted an image and accompanying caption that read: “10,000 pigeons go through anal security check for suspicious objects on Tuesday, ready to be released on National Day on October 1.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 4, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
The Bank of Scotland has been cause for eyesore due to it’s pigeon infestation
The Bank of Scotland in Burghead is only open for two hours each week and local people have complained for some time about the ‘eyesore’ with its boarded windows and resident pigeon population.
Janet Margaret Glendinning, who works for a contract cleaning company, has been voluntarily taking on the additional task of cleaning up around the building.
However, she has revealed via a social media post that Bank of Scotland staff advised her to stop doing so.
Mrs Glendinning said that she now hopes the building’s owners will take action on what she believes is a “definite health risk”.
She said: “I have regrettably decided to stop cleaning the pavement outside the Bank of Scotland, Burghead Branch on the advice of the bank staff and of Mitie, the contract cleaning company we work for.
“Although it was not part of the job description, we have done it for many years but things got worse and it has become a definite health risk.
“We are hoping that the owners will step up to the crease and get professionals in.
“We do hope the people in Burghead will understand our situation and be patient should the situation worsen in the near future.”
Currently the bank only use the building on Tuesday mornings from 9.30am until 11.30am – nobody was available to discuss the building’s condition last night.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Nov 4, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
An outline of a pigeon that crashed into a window shows the head, body, and wings.
The grease of a pigeon imprint is caused by ‘powder down’, which protects the feathers.
Pigeons often have difficulty distinguishing the pane of a transparent glass and an open passageway.
Pigeons have eyes on either sides of their heads, giving advantage to detecting predators– much to the expense of depth perception.
The trials and tribulations of bird brain.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
